Understand
[edit]"Morpeth" derives from Old English morð pæð, murder path, for the crimes committed in its vicinity. It stood on the Great North Road between London and Edinburgh, which here crossed the River Wansbeck, so Scottish herdsmen brought their cattle to market here, and the stagecoach rattled through. In an agricultural era it attracted an abbey (a daughter house of Fountains Abbey near Ripon) and had a castle. These have crumbled away and in 1970 the main road A1 was re-routed to bypass Morpeth to the west.
Tourist information is based at the Chantry by the river bridge, open M-Sa 9:30AM-5PM.
Get in
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By road follow A1, which bypasses the town to the west.
By plane fly into Newcastle (NCL IATA), take the Metro to town then train or bus north.
1 Morpeth station has trains every 30 min from Newcastle, taking 15-20 min and heading to Berwick-upon-Tweed, Edinburgh and beyond. These variously start from Newcastle itself, from London King's Cross (hourly, taking 4 hours), from the Midlands, Manchester and Leeds via York and Durham, or from Carlisle via Haltwhistle (for Hadrian's Wall), Hexham and Corbridge. The station has a staffed ticket office and machines, toilets but no waiting room or cafe. There is step-free access to both platforms.
Just south of the station is the notorious Morpeth curve, the tightest curve on a British main line, the scene of several derailments with the latest in 1994.
Arriva Bus X15 runs hourly from Newcastle Haymarket, taking 30 min via Gosforth and continuing north to Alnwick. Alternate buses continue from there up the A1 to Beal (for Lindisfarne), Scremerston and Berwick, another hour.
Bus 35 runs every 20 min from Newbiggin-by-the-Sea via North Seaton, Ashington and Pegsworth.
2 Morpeth bus station is in town centre.
Get around
[edit]Town is small enough for walking, but its attractions won't detain you long, so you need wheels to explore the Northumbria countryside. A bike will do well: these are permitted on A1 but it's a fast road, dangerous in poor viz, so use the former Great North Road.
Taxi firms are Just Taxis (+44 7957 495503), Taylormade Taxis (+44 7901 090902) and Express Taxis (+44 1670 513513).
See
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- St James Church in town centre was built in 1846 in sort-of Norman style, when aged parishioners' creaky legs could no longer convey them to St Mary's (below).
- Morpeth Clock Tower by Market Square was built around 1600-1630. It looks older because it recycled medieval masonry, probably from the abbey.
- Stepping Stones cross the river west side of town. They're practical concrete blocks.
- 1 Morpeth Chantry (Bagpipe Museum), 67A Bridge Street NE61 1PQ, ☏ +44 1670 623455. M–Sa 10AM-5PM. A chantry was where monks chanted hymns and prayers for the souls of the dead, usually for the fellow whose bequest was funding them. Chantries were often at river bridges, collecting tolls which likewise helped keep them in cassocks; this example was built in 1296. Since 1987 it's housed a collection of Northumbrian bagpipes, which are blown by bellows cranked under the arm. Their compact design means they're not as mournful as Scottish bagpipes, and as they were only developed circa 1600 the monks never used them. Occasional concerts and performances. Free.
- 2 Morpeth Castle survives only as its much-altered gatehouse, available to rent from Landmark Trust as a holiday cottage. From 1866 to 1935 the castle was a township in its own right.
- Carlisle Park by the castle has a floral clock, restored in 2018.
- 3 St Mary's Church is Anglican. It's mostly from 14th century, though much bashed by Danes, Scots and Cromwellians. In the graveyard lies the suffragette Emily Wilding Davison (1872 – 1913), killed when she leapt in front of King George V's horse Anmer at the Derby; she was trying to attach a WSPU "Votes for Women" banner to the horse. Her legacy was the establishment of the Northern Men's Federation, the first men's society in support of votes for women. It was a tipping point in public opinion, but progress was halted by the outbreak of the First World War.
- 4 Newminster Abbey is a few scraps of ruin half a mile west. It's on private land but you see enough from the higher ground just south.
- 5 Belsay Hall and Castle, Belsay NE20 0DX (10 miles southwest of Morpeth), ☏ +44 3703 331181. W-Su 10AM-4PM. Belsay Castle dates from 1370, abandoned in 1817 when the Hall was completed nearby but left as a picturesque ruin. The Hall in turn fell derelict in the 1970s so what you come for is the gardens with these scenic ruins. Adult £12.50, child £7.50, conc £11.
- See Alnwick for Blinkburn Priory, Cragside and Rothbury.
Do
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- What's on? Morpeth Herald is published weekly.
- Sports & Leisure Centre is on Gas House Lane near the bridge. It has a gym, fitness classes and pool.
- Golf: Morpeth GC is south of the river by St Mary's. White tees 6341 yards, par 71, visitor round £50.
- Longhirst Hall is 3 miles northeast.
- Morpeth Golf Centre is a driving range 2 miles southwest.
- Football: Morpeth Town play soccer in the amateur leagues at Craik Park west of the golf course.
- Morpeth RFC play rugby union in the amateur leagues at Grange House Field, west edge of town on Mitford Rd B6343.
- Northumbrian Gathering is a three-day event on the weekend following Easter. The next is F 25 - Su 27 April 2025.
Buy
[edit]- Supermarket: Morrison's is on Dark Lane, northeast side of town centre, open M-Sa 7AM-9PM, Su 10AM-4PM.
- Sanderson Arcade is a mall next to the bus station.
- Markets: Market Place is at the crossroads of Newgate and Bridge St, just west of the arcade. Market day is Wednesday, plus a Farmer's Market first Saturday of each month.
Eat
[edit]- Bridge St has Ephesus, Niko's Taberna, The Townhouse, Lollo Rosso and Tandoor Mahal.
- Newgate with Oldgate has Olive & Co, Primo Piano, Sambuca and Electric Wizard (below).
- The Electrical Wizard, 11 New Market NE61 1PS, ☏ +44 1670 500640. Su-Th 8AM-midnight, F Sa 8AM-1AM. Reliable Wetherspoon's pub-restaurant in a former cinema.
- Market and arcade have Nadon Thai, Gianni's[dead link] and Martino Lounge.
Drink
[edit]Pubs in town include The Black Bull, The Office, Joiners Arms and Tap & Spile.
Sleep
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- 1 Morpeth Inn (Premier Lodge), 6 Staithes Lane NE61 1TD, ☏ +44 1670 518550. Very basic, but central and inexpensive. B&B double £75.
- Auction House, 63 Bridge St NE61 1PQ (north end of bridge), ☏ +44 1670 708550. Comfy pub with rooms, usually clean. B&B double £100.
- Waterford Lodge Hotel, Castle Square NE61 1YD (south end of bridge), ☏ +44 1670 512004. Clean welcoming place in a terrace knock-through by the castle. B&B double £60.
- 2 St Mary's Inn, St Mary's Lane, Morpeth NE61 6BL, ☏ +44 1670 641111. It looks like an old station on the Midlands line, it's actually a converted hospital, now a pub with 11 rooms. Clean, comfy, good eating. B&B double £140.
- 3 Thistleyhaugh Farm, Longhorseley NE65 8RG (off A697 seven miles north of Morpeth), ☏ +44 1665 570629. Charming B&B in Georgian farmhouse by River Coquet. Open April to mid Dec, no dogs. B&B double £110.
Connect
[edit]As of Jan 2025, Morpeth and its approach roads have 4G from Vodafone and 5G from EE, O2 and Three.
Go next
[edit]- South to Newcastle upon Tyne for big city attractions.
- North to explore the coast around Amble and Alnmouth, and see the castle at Alnwick.
- West to Hadrian's Wall: Corbridge, Hexham and Haltwhistle are the main base towns.
| Routes through Morpeth |
| Edinburgh ← Alnwick ← | N  S
|
→ Newcastle upon Tyne |